Friends.

There's a lot that is going on all the time it seems like. We bounce around from event to event and just when we feel like we are catching up with everything that's happening, five more things pop up. Recently, we've been busy people over here at Friends of Refugees. Let me break it down for you:

CCDA Conference
This past week, I had the great opportunity to join seven other FOR staff members at the Christian Community Development Association's annual conference that was held in Memphis. We packed up the vans and spent lots of quality time setting up a booth, roaming around the city looking for places to eat, connecting with other organizations from around the country, and sharing fondue with new friends.

Having fondue with Friends and having conversations about working with refugees.

The sessions and workshops at the conference were both encouraging and inspiring. It was so much fun to connect with people who have similar missions and goals from different cities and compare notes on how to overcome struggles or celebrate wins. One such friend that we made is Sarah from Ekata where refugee women in Memphis gather to create beautiful jewelry to help supplement their income, very similar to our own Refugee Sewing Society. We also connected with World Relief from many different cities and bonded over similar stories of successes and challenges of working with newly resettled refugees. Josh and I particularly had the unique opportunity to bond with Ms. Cam from the Refugee Empowerment Program in Memphis that is the only after school service available to refugees in the area. In speaking with Ms. Cam, we learned that she is an Atlanta native and fan of FOR. It was extremely humbling to hear how she talked about our organization as something that she admired and looked up. After getting the chance to pray with her and share stories about our own after school program, we all left encouraged.

Our awesome double-wide booth with our lovely staff sharing about what we do.

As great as the networking was and as enriching as the sessions and workshops were, the favorite part of the convention by staff was definitely getting a chance to know one another better as friends and not necessarily co-workers. Having dinner together and spending hours and hour together in vans was just fun. Building and strengthening the Friends of Refugees community was both needed and just a blessing.

Cracker Barrell brings everyone together!

Festivities
Tis the season for fall festivals and Christmas parties. Josh and I had the opportunity to set up a booth at our local Chick-fil-a for their Fall Festival. We recruited some kids to help us run activities and treated them to dinner after. It was really fun to get to hang out with kids and reconnect with some that I haven't seen in a while. They may net be the best workers in the world, but their silly jokes and goofy personalities make them so much fun to be around that it doesn't matter.

Working hard or hardly working? We aren't sure either. :)

There was also a garden party recently where we gathered to celebrate the birthday of someone from CNN who had worked in the Jolly Avenue Community Garden for a day and fell in love with the community. We gathered in the rain, ate good food, and took the opportunity to hang out with some families that live in the surrounding apartments. Though it was cold and wet, the fire was warm, the food was good, and the company couldn't be beat!

Friends and a bonfire make everything better.

Family Progress
Thank you so much for your prayers for the camper family that has been trying to get back on their feet. The middle schooler has been bussed to school for a week now without Josh and I having to take him and mom is continuing to practice her English in and out of class. They still have a ways to go, but they are working hard. Pray for them to continue to build their community and gain opportunities for a job and childcare for the baby. God is good!

The Elephant in the Room
There's a lot of talk about refugees these days. I don't think I can count the articles I've seen posted to Facebook or the response emails I have received from other organizations working with refugees in the community. I have seen news trucks all over Clarkston and know that many of my friends and co-workers have been flooded with questions from friends and family who just want to understand what's going on. Part of me is happy that people are seeking knowledge about refugees and that we have the opportunity to educate a lot of people about what we do. The other part of me is deeply saddened by the half-truths and misinformation that is floating around and skewing the views of people with good intentions. The fears people have about the safety of their country and families are valid and worthy of being addressed. I urge you to read Friends of Refugees response and I invite you to come and visit me at work. I'd love to sit down with you and have a conversation about the refugee resettlement process and show you around our beautiful little city. Fear is emotional and facts often don't ease fear, rather it takes an opportunity to show some courage and experience what could be. So please call me, text me, email me, Facebook me, or come visit me. I would love to share my experiences with you.

Story Time
Let's leave this on a happy note. I've had a great day today, y'all. After a morning in the office, I took the afternoon to visit a Somali family with a few of my friends who are current Missionary Training Students with Global Frontier Missions. I was instantly encouraged as I met with my friends before we left for our visit. I learned how many of the youth they are visiting on their own time that I didn't know about. Praise the Lord that people are in the community helping to care for and love these kids! Being one of just a few full-time youth workers in the area, it's such a blessing to know there's a team of people out there because we can't do it on our own. It's both humbling and encouraging.
Back to the family we went to visit. I've known them for years through summer camp and have always had a soft spot in my heart for them. For years, I have been praying for people to be able to invest in them more frequently than I can on my own and when I heard my GFM friends were at their house weekly to just hang out I almost cried. God is so good. It was so sweet to be welcomed in and to catch up with the youth that I have come to know so well. The oldest daughter made tea for us and pulled up the summer camp video from when she was a camper (my first summer interning) and we reminisced about the good old days. The younger boys tried to sign up for camp on the spot and cheered when I told them I was the Camp Director this year. Those boys can be a handful, but over time I've seen them make better and better choices, "I was really good last summer! I never even got a strike, right Ms. Emily?!" It made my heart full to be able to brag on him in front of his family and friends about what a good kid he is.
I left praising God for how good He is and thanking him for using those kids to remind me why I'm here.

I know this was a long one! Thanks for making all the way through. I appreciate you so much and pray that you would be living the abundant life too. :)

God Wins

It is becoming abundantly clear to me what abundant life can be like. Over the past week or so I have just been overwhelmed with how supportive and loving the people in my life are (and just how many of those people in blessed to have in my life). A trip to Athens to visit with old friends, some FaceTime to visit with far away friends, and quality time with new friends right here in the Atlanta area. Community is such a sweet, sweet thing.

Don't forget my family, though. Their phone calls, texts, care packages, and visits have what helped me get here in the first place. They are amazing, y'all. They keep tabs on my life better than I can and I'm so thankful for their interest and desire to be a part of what I get to do here in Clarkston. I'm well aware of others in similar jobs as mine that don't have the unconditional love and support I've received. Family, you rock. 

Updates!

Everything is holding steady. We've had so much fun with the girls group on Thursdays getting to know each other, laughing, and doing homework. Their a pretty incredible group of ladies. Our volunteers too though. We could not have such a great turnout without their help. These girls can't help but to leave the group knowing that they are loved and cared for by others. While I don't spend as much time with the boys in Tuesday's, I know there's a similar theme there. 

Never get tired of pictures of this room. It's where God comes to meet with the youth. 

I've started to come to the conclusion that the job of all the youth staff in all of Clarkston to prove to these young people that they are always loved wherever they go and whatever they do. It's a beautiful thing really. I saw evidence of this at a bonfire after Friday night youth group. It's pretty awesome when a group of adults gather together to pray about and discuss the best ways to minister to the youth in the area. It was both personally refreshing and enhancing to the Kingdom. 

Who doesn't love a good fire? 

My friends who I get to Drive around town frequently are doing really well right now. Staying in a house with another family has been a blessing for them. The 12-year-old has been granted access to stay at his school (praise the Lord) and soon a bus will take him to school. Trust me, this kid deserves some normalcy in his life. He's been a champ through the whole situation. Mom is also doing well. Staying with another family has given her the opportunity to help around the house and find other ways to serve the family hosting her. It does wonders for your dignity when you can help provide for your family even a little bit. Keep praying for them to move towards getting back on their feet. 

My view for much of the time I'm in the car.

That's about all I have for you. Except one more thing...WE GOT A $50,000 CHECK! Youth Programs applied for a grant through Chick-fil-a's True Inspiration awards and out of all the other youth programs in the nation, we won. Praise God!

I know I am a tiny person. 

Speaking of, tonight I'm going to hang out with a bunch of volunteers who have decided to put in their own pumpkin carving event for some youth. I love their intentionality. 

Praise Reports

There's been a lot of good things going here that have kept me very busy. I sometimes feel like a taxi service taking people to and from all kinds of places. Sometimes car rides are great places to talk and get to know someone more. I have found that I am very thankful for the time spent with people in my car. My job is hard to describe to people, but I just love being a friend to so many.

Camper Family
Remember back when I told you about the camper who had come across some hard times? The family was staying in a shelter and we were working to help get them back on their feet. Well, listen to this. They are now staying in the extra room at a new friend's house. The mom is practicing her English and building her confidence. On Tuesday we went with her to her child's school to discuss some issues about transportation to and from school since their move out of the shelter. She was very timid at first, but with the help of a language line and some friends by her side, you could see her feeling more and more dignified. When I picked her up for English class the next day, she was smiling and started a conversation with me for the first time. She was put together and seems to be doing much better. She asked me to come over and help her with a few things and tried so hard to speak with me when before our ride had been in mostly silence.

This family still has a long way to go, but they are showing so much progress. The middle schooler is experiencing a lot of transition which is causing a lot of stress. Pray for all of them that they would be able to settle soon and go back to being a family without having to worry so much about how they will get by.

Homework Group
Annalisa and I are having a blast with our girls. They really are the best and I wish you could all get to know each one of them. They are unique, beautiful, smart, kind girls who come together on Thursdays with friends to try and do homework knowing that it matters for their future. It's actually hard to get them to stop doing their homework before they are done. I'm blessed by my time with them each and every week.

Community
Recently I have found out hoe thankful I am for the little community I am a part of. From the McKendree 20+ group to the other FOR staff, I am constantly surrounded by great people who encourage me. My roommates and the friends I have made in Clarkston have helped this whole big post-grad life transition much more manageable. I'm so thankful for my family as well who continues to support me and help me in any way that they can. Y'all are the best!!!

Prayer Requests
As always, please continue to pray hat financial support would continue to come in. I have hit a wall recently it seems, and still need about $6,000 more to be fully funded. I hope that you will prayerfully consider becoming a monthly giver if you have not already or share my information with anyone you think might be interested in helping.

Pray for the camper family who is trying so hard to achieve the American Dream. There are many pieces that still need to fall into place and complex systems to making those things happen.

Pray for Friends of Refugees that we continue to always seek God's will first and that we would never do work outside of what he has planned for us.

Early Morning Star Wars

So I'm sitting here with my cool friend who's a sweet, kind, patient camper that should be in school. We're hanging out FOR headquarters today because his mom and baby sister are downstairs with Refugee Family Literacy. His mom is in an English class and the baby is with the other babies being taken care of so mom can learn. My camper is in middle school though, he's much older than the other kids that are hanging out downstairs in the preschool. Why is he here you ask? After the class, we're headed to the clinic to get the baby checked out and that sweet, kind, patient big brother is along to translate. It's hard to totally agree with the situation. I wish this awesome son and big brother could be in school right now getting his educational needs met at the same time as his mom. Things don't always happen as they should though. As we sit here together in what we fondly call the Couch Room, I'm thankful for a few things. I'm thankful for a Kindle with access to Netflix so there is something for us to while we hang out for a few hours. I'm thankful the mom is finally receiving services she hasn't been able to get since she first came to America almost 2 years ago. I'm thankful that though life has been hard for this little family, they cling tight to each other and love each other in a way that you don't see everyday. Middle school boys aren't necessarily known for their love of babies, but this one genuinely loves his sister so much. He plays with her and sings to her and will do anything he can to make her smile. I wish he was in school today, but I know that helping make sure his little sister feels better soon is where he needs to be right now. To be honest, I look up to this kid. His character is impeccable and his devotion to his family is admirable. At camp, he's one who always listens, always helps, and always befriends those who need someone. I'm a little happy that he gets a bit of a day off from school. There's been a lot going on with his family and I think hanging out and watching Star Wars for the morning might be a much needed break from reality.

Also, I've been enlightened about all things Star Wars during our time together. It's always good to learn new things. I taught him what the word "clone" means and blew his mind. "Every day is a school day" he tells me.

Updates
This Thursday at our after school tutoring group we had a lot of fun. The wonderful Ms. Amy shared with us some great lessons about conductors and insulators. Conductors speed things up and insulators slow things down. We applied this to real life and talked about different things that are setting up the girls for success in work and things that are holding them back. The girls were really into it and all in all it was AWESOME.

This sweet girl had an ice cream sundae for the first time this past Thursday. My job can be so fun. :)

Perspective

It's been an interesting week or so for me. I feel like I've gained a lot of perspective.

Background
A lot of people ask me how we keep up with the kids once camp is over and to be honest it's not easy.  With two Youth Programs staff members and crazy work and school schedules for volunteers, it's hard to track down every camper and keep up with them. We sure try though. Fortunately, there are a few families who help a lot. I know when that several camp families are well served and if I can't personally make it to visit them, someone else is. I am so thankful for these people and their servant hearts. Others we keep up with the after school groups. We are able to keep tabs on the family through teenagers. Other times we have to be more reactive and respond to families calling out to us. Anyway you look at it, it truly takes a village to keep up with all the families.

Story time! 

Story #1
One sweet middle school camper calls Josh out of the blue. In their conversation, Josh learns that the family is no longer living at home and that they might be living in a shelter. Not being able to get too far talking with the student, Josh spreads the word and we start a search for information on where they might be. We drive around, try to call back (the number was disconnected), and pray a lot. We finally get a call back from the family and set up a meeting with the so we can hopefully understand what's going on and see how we can support them. Please pray for us and the family as we are meeting with them Saturday.

Story #2
I'm friends with a lot of campers on social media. It keeps me accountable to living every part of my life in a way that I wouldn't mind them seeing and it helps me keep track of all of them at once. Recently, a camper posted pictures of her arm with cuts she made herself. Having friends who have struggled with cutting in the past, I know what a real problem it can be. I was encouraged to see many people rallying around her, sending messages and inviting her to talk, but knew that there was more that needed to be done. This camper happens to be very connected with one of our volunteers who is a trained counselor. What a blessing to be able to send an email about concerns over this camper and know that the next day someone who loves her and knows her well would be there to support her. It's such a comfort to me to know the body of Christ is at work here and that I don't have to care for all these youth alone. Please pray for this family and the other youth in Clarkston struggling with or without such a strong support system. 

Story #3
The after school homework group I help with has become such a blessing to my life. We've grown to about 15 girls and at least 5 volunteers who come every week. Annalisa and I were overwhelmed by the amount of interest people had in our group. After trying to work with youth within our own programs for so long, it's amazing to see all that can happen when two people come together and share their resources to work toward a common goal. We've been blown away by our girls too. We had one 7th grader write a thank you note for the wonderful Ms. Pam who has been bringing us dinner. Her sweet and kind spirit humbles everyone who comes in contact with her. She's a younger one in the group, but definitely sets an example for youth everywhere. We are also interviewing a few girls for a video to promote our program and after sitting in on two of them yesterday, I am completely blown away with how humble, wise, well spoken, and completely amazing our girls are. They left our videographer speechless and their stories about their dreams, struggles, and families is honest and powerful. We were worried about the girls not wanting to share about themselves on video, but I am confident that both girls left empowered as their resilience and hard work was put on display. I am so proud of these girls I work with. They bless me more than I could have ever imagined. Pray that we are able to empower youth and restore their dignity as they participate in our programs. 

Story #4
Our Facebook page receives a decent amount of traffic, however we do not normally receive many messages. Recently we did. It was a short message in broken English explaining that this man was a Syrian refugee in Lebanon with 5 children who was trying to find a way to educate his children and receive asylum in America. The Syrian refugee crisis has been receiving a lot of news recently. In Clarkston people have been talking about it for a long time now. I don't think it hit me how desperate these families are until I read that message. It could have been a scam. I recognize that. It also could have been real. Pray for the people currently fleeing their homes in search of refuge. 

Conclusion
After the events of this past week I am thankful for my family. I have never had to worry about ending up in a homeless shelter because I know that even if my parents were in a position where they couldn't pay the bills, we have more family and friends that could take us in. I am thankful that I don't work alone, but that there is a whole body of believers who I work alongside to achieve the same goal of seeing the Kindgom come to Clarkston. I'm thankful that the ones I serve serve me, humble me, and are already great all on their own. Last, I'm thankful for a safe place to live in a country where I am free to be who I am and I don't have to worry about someone coming after me or my family based on my political or religious beliefs, my ethnicity, or my social standing.

How was your week?

Progress

First, let me say thank you. Thank to my family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers who have been encouraging and supporting me. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by friends in the middle of the support raising process to relate to and people that are willing to try and understand. I'm blessed to go to a church that is passionate about missions and proud of my serving in Clarkston. I"m blessed to be a solid 43%! Y'all are seriously the best and I can honestly say that I couldn't do this without you.

I'm so thankful for the support and love. Y'all make this pie chart and my life in Clarkston possible!

Homework Group:
It's been really exciting to be a part of the homework groups that have picked up since school started. I had the honor of hanging out with Josh and his boys while cooking them pancakes for their dinner one Tuesday night. I also got to sit in with Scott's group where it all started. I remember going to hang out with the same group of kids when I was in high school. It's pretty cool to still be in touch with those kiddos.

The most exciting thing though is the girls group that Annalisa and I have started together. The support has been overwhelming in the form of volunteers and materials. We had a wonderful party this past week with about 25 people including, students, volunteers, and some wonderful people from the Chick-fil-a Foundation. They brought us a delicious dinner and shared some encouraging and inspiring words with the girls.

It's so great that these students in these groups are getting the chance to have so many people who care pour into their lives. What a blessing it is to be here and see so many people getting excited about serving the youth outside of Summer Camp.

This is the youth room where homework groups meet and friends are made. Homey right?

FOR at the Fox:
Other than the really awesome homework groups that are going on, there's other cool things to be excited about too. For example,a few of us got the chance to go to the Fabulous Fox for the Chick-fil-a Foundation's first ever True Inspiration awards. Three youth, with fancy new duds, and a few staff members were all dressed to the nines for the event. There was a dinner and award ceremony where non profits from around the nation were recognized and rewarded for their work with youth in the areas of leadership, education, and entrepreneurship. Friends of Refugees was not in the running this year, but we were able to do some networking and learn about what other organizations were doing. On top of that we got to meet Lecrea, which was a pretty big deal. All in all, our group had a blast. It was so much fun to get dressed up and have a special night out. It was nicer even to be around so man other people who care so much about nurturing youth to be all they can be. It's encouraging to know there's so many people out there who care.

Two lovely ladies who repped FOR well at their first visit to The Fox. 

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that the homework groups continue to grow and have a positive impact on the youth. 
• Pray that support continues to come in so I can focus on being fully here without having to worry about finances. 
• Pray for my health as I get over a nasty sinus infection.  
• Pray for the community that Kingdom of God would continue to come in Clarkston.

Call for Support

My Grandpa is a wonderful and wise man who once said, "Working for God doesn't pay very well, but your boss is awesome and the retirement benefits are out of this world!" The truth is he's not wrong. There are tons of Bible verses I could post about welcoming the foreigner, serving the widowed and the orphaned, or taking the Gospel to all the nations. I encourage you to look into those topics or check out this resource for some specific verses. I really want to focus on what Jesus tells us in Matthew 18 right now though. He says that the children are the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven and that "whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Matt 18:5). What I'm doing here in Clarkston, the reason that I came, was to serve these kids that the Lord already loves so much and support them in whatever way I can. I came to love them and be a face they know and recognize that can connect them and their families with resources. I came to hang out with them, listen to them, get ice cream with them. I came to provide them with opportunities to improve themselves and learn through summer camp and after school programs. I came to be a neighbor, a mentor, and a friend. I believe that the work I am doing here has eternal effects.

My official role at Friends of Refugees is as Youth Programs Staff (specifically the 2016 Camp Director!). FOR is working to raise part of what I need to live on over the next year, but I'm responsible for raising the rest. Being in this position is one that can be very scary sometimes. You put yourself in the vulnerable place of asking others for help and depend on those people to come through for you. The really cool thing about being in this position is that I have to fully depend on the Lord to provide the right people to support me. It's a humbling yet exciting state to be in. Every single donation, every dollar and every encouragement is all not just for my good, but allows for the continuation of the Lord's work with the youth here in Clarkston.

I genuinely hope you will consider supporting me with a one time or monthly financial gift. Check out my support letter, contact me for more information, and pray about it.

Thank you for reading this blog and being the awesome, supportive, people that you are. I couldn't do any of this without y'all!

When you support me, you support this one too. :)